The year 2010 was all about the growth of Android. In 2011, analysts expect the Android OS to explode’. In less than a year, Android handsets have grabbed a considerable share in the mobile market and they are still setting the sales chart on fire.

In India, where Symbian OS rules Android has managed to grab a decent market share. Now, more and more people in India are realizing that the Android OS is the future of mobile phones and are buying an Android based phone for themselves. However, the Indian market is flooded with low-range Android handsets which totally spoil the Android experience. So, below is a list consisting of the best Android phones available in India right now.

Samsung Galaxy 5

The only Android phone worth purchasing below the Rs. 10,000 mark is the Samsung Galaxy 5. The Galaxy 5 is a pretty loaded’ handset which is pretty surprising for its price. The Galaxy 5 is powered by a 600 MHz processor and runs on Android 2.1 with TouchWIZ UI on top of it.

The handset also has a decent 2.8-inch 240×400 screen. The back of the phone sports a disappointing 2MP camera. The usual Wi-Fi, GPS, microSD card slot are also present. Even though the Galaxy 5 is a pretty cheap handset, it packs in HSDPA support. The Samsung Galaxy 5 is available in India for only Rs. 8869 and can be purchased from here. I would seriously recommend this handset to buyers instead of the other low-end Android phones like the Micromax A60.

HTC Wildfire

The HTC Wildfire is one of the most popular budget phones in India. It features a 3.2-inch QVGA (320×240) display. The handset is powered by a 528MHz processor and has 384MB of RAM along with 512MB of ROM. The usual Wi-Fi, GPS etcetera are all present.

Recently, HTC also started rolling out the Android 2.2 update for the handset in India. The HTC Wildfire is available in India for Rs. 13749. The HTC Wildfire is a decent Android phone to own but with considerably better competitors out there. Users who want to experience the HTC Sense UI should prefer this phone over the LG Optimus One. Readers can purchase the HTC Wildfire from here.

Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro

The Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro is a power packed handset. The handset features a 2.55-inch display with QVGA display. The handset is powered by a 600MHz processor and has 128MB of internal memory. The X10 Mini Pro also packs in a slide-out QWERTY keyboard which is pretty remarkable for such a small form factor.

The handset runs on Android 2.1 with Sony’s proprietary TimeScape UI on top of it. Sadly, Sony Ericsson won’t be releasing any more Android updates for this device. The X10 Mini Pro is available in India for Rs. 15000 and can be purchased from here. A must buy if anyone in India is looking for a small form factor based Android phone with a decent QWERTY keyboard.

Samsung Galaxy 3

Before the LG Optimus One was launched, the Samsung Galax 3 was the best Android phone available within Rs. 15000. The Galaxy 3 features a 3.2-inch screen with an odd resolution of 240×400. The phone has a 667 MHz processor and 256MB of RAM along with 512MB of ROM. The usual Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS etcetera are all present.

The handset runs on Android 2.1 with Samsung’s TouchWIZ UI on top of it. Samsung will soon roll out the Android 2.2 update for the Galaxy 3. The Samsung Galaxy 3 is available in India for Rs. 11500 and can be purchased from here.

LG Optimus One

The LG Optimus One is the best Android phone available in India for below Rs. 15000. For a budget mid-range phone, the Optimus One packs a 3.2-inch HVGA display, a 600MHz processor, 512MB of RAM and 170MB of internal memory. The usual Wi-Fi, GPS, 3.5mm jack and a microSD card slot are all present.

The back of the phone sports a 3.15MP camera with auto-focus. The phone is powered by a 1500mAh battery which will make sure that the phone will easily last through a day.

Even though the Optimus One is a budget oriented Android phone, it runs on Android 2.2. LG has even announced that the Optimus One will officially get the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update. The LG Optimus One (P500) is available for Rs. 12500 in India. Readers can purchase the LG Optimus One P500 from here.

HTC Desire

The HTC Desire is very similar to the Google Nexus One. The handset features a 3.7-inch AMOLED display, a 1GHz processor and 512MB of RAM. The back of the phone sports a 5MP camera. The usual Wi-Fi, GPS etcetera are also there. The HTC Desire is an old handset now but it is available in India for around Rs. 23000 now.

At this price, the Desire is a truly desirable handset. Readers who want to purchase the HTC Desire can do so from here.

HTC Desire Z

The Desire Z is one of the best Android handsets available in India to sport a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Unlike other high-end Android phones, the processor of Desire Z runs at a mere’ 800 MHz. However, this does not make the phone a slow couch and it is able to beat all the older generation Snapdragon phones in performance easily.

The slide-out QWERTY keyboard of the handset is also pretty good and is one of the main attractions of this phone. The Z packs in 1.5gig of internal memory and 512MB of RAM. The back of the phone sports a 5MP camera with an LED flash which is capable of recoding 720p HD videos. The Desire Z runs on Android 2.2 with the latest version of Sense UI on top of it.

The Desire Z is available in India for Rs. 25899. Readers interested in buying the Desire Z can buy it from here.

HTC Desire HD

HTC recently released the Desire HD in India. The handset is made up of a single block of aluminum and has a very premium feel to it. The Desire HD sports a mammoth 4.3-inch display along with 768MB of RAM and 1.5gig of internal memory. The handset is powered by a 1GHz Snapdragon processor and packs an Adreno 205 GPU. The back of the phone also sports an 8MP camera along with dual-LED flash.

The Desire HD has been packed to the brim with features from HTC but sadly, the company has skimped on the battery of the handset. The handset is powered by a measly 1230mAh battery which will see this handset barely make it through a day.

Still the HTC Desire HD is a very good phone and is available in India for Rs. 27899. Readers who are interested in buying the Desire HD can do so from here.

Samsung Galaxy S

The Samsung Galaxy S has been one of the most popular Android phones last year. The handset features a 1GHz Hummingbird processor and a PowerVR SGX540 graphics core. The Super-AMOLED display on the handset has stellar contrast and viewing angles. Samsung had launched the Galaxy S with Android 2.1 on board but recently rolled out the Android 2.2 update in India.

The phone also sports Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, microSD card slot, and 16GB of internal memory including 2GB of ROM for installing all your apps. The Samsung Galaxy S retails for around Rs. 26000 in India right now. The back of the Galaxy S packs a 5MP auto-focus camera while the front has a VGA camera for all your video calling needs.

The downsides of the Galaxy S include a plasticky build quality and no LED flash to assist the 5MP camera. The combination of killer internal hardware, screen and pricing make the Galaxy S the best Android handset available in India right now. The Samsung Galaxy S is available in India for Rs. 27999 and can be purchased from here.

So which is your favorite Android based phone in India? Do let me know through your comments.

The much awaited LG Optimus U will be finally available to the US Cellular customers from December 13. LG Optimus U is the US Cellular’s own version of the popular LG Optimus One. LG already managed to sell 1 million units of LG Optimus One in just 40 days. This handset is already available for Sprint and T-Mobile customers in the US.

“The LG Optimus U is a good fit for first-time smartphone customers who are looking to explore a wide range of games, multimedia entertainment and time-saving Android applications. Customers with one of our Belief Plans who are eligible for a phone upgrade can pick up an LG Optimus U at our promotional price without signing a new contract,” said Edward Perez, vice president of marketing and sales operations for U.S. Cellular.

Welcome to the second edition of the new Mobile Mondays. This week we saw the leaked pictures and details of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X7, Xperia X7 Mini and Xperia X12 Anzu. Sony Ericsson confirmed that X10 will get multi-touch support from Q1, 2011. Apart from that LG officially launched the new LG Vortex and LG Cosmos Touch for Verizon. On the other hand LG managed to sell 1 million units of LG Optimus One in just 40 days. Lets start the second edition of Mobile Mondays with some news, views and other interesting stuffs.

Xperia X12 will be powered by 800 MHz processor, 4.2 inch capacitive display with full multi-touch support, Android 2.3 OS and 12 megapixel camera with HD video recording. Sony Ericsson also announced that the X10 will be getting an OTA (Over-The-Air) software update by Q1 of 2011 which will enable basic multi-touch (pinch-to-zoom) support on the phone.

LG:

This week, LG officially launched LG Vortex and LG Cosmos Touch for Verizon and LG Apex for US Cellular. LG also managed to sell 1 million units of LG Optimus One in just 40 days. The LG Optimus One is a low-end Android based phone. LG Optimus One features a 3.2-inch screen, 600MHz processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS with A-GPS, Compass, external memory card slot, FM radio and a 3.5mm jack.

Nokia:

Nokia recently updated its popular business phone, the Nokia E72. The firmware version is numbered 52.005 and it fixes some small bugs and updates the Adobe Reader application. Nokia also launched two new entry-level phones, X2-01 and C2-01. The original C2-00 was a dual SIM phone, but C2-01 is a single SIM phone. Nokia C2-01 comes with 3G connectivity and 3.2 megapixel camera while X2-01 features a full QWERTY keyboard and VGA camera.

Handset Of The Week – LG Optimus One:

LG Optimus One is the LG’s most popular Android phone to date. The entry-level Optimus One features a 3.2 inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display, Android 2.2 (FroYo) operating system, 600 MHz processor, 170 MB internal memory, 32Gb expandable memory, 3.15 MP camera, 3G Connectivity, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and a 1500 mAh battery. LG has sold more than 1 million units of LG Optimus One worldwide. This handset is available In India for just Rs.13,500.

LG Android based handsets are not very popular. The plummeting sales and profits of the LG mobile division is a testimony to this fact. However, it looks like LG has met with some kind of success with the LG Optimus One. In a press release, LG just announced that they have managed to sell more than one million units of the Optimus One. Keeping in mind that the Optimus One still has not been launched globally, it sure is no easy task!

The LG Optimus One is a low-end Android based phone. The handset has a 3.2-inch screen with HVGA (320×480) resolution. The phone is powered by a 600MHz processor and packs in 178MB of internal memory. The usual Wi-Fi b/g, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS with A-GPS, Compass, external memory card slot, FM radio and a 3.5mm jack are all present.

According to me, one major plus point of the Optimus One is that it runs on Android 2.2. LG is now expecting the Optimus One to be its first handset to breach the ten million mark in terms of sale.

The Android powered LG Optimus One is now available for Three subscribers in the U.K. This handset is powered by Android 2.2 Operating System, which allows you to access more than 100,000 apps from the Android Market. The Optimus One is capable of playing DivX and Xvid videos.

Slyvia Chind, Head of Branded Devices at Three said Adding the LG Optimus One to our range of devices continues our commitment to offer customers the best smartphones on the market. Our strong 3G network makes the most of the Google Android operating system and brings to life features such as the portable Wi-Fi hotspot.”

The LG Optimus One is available for free on the £30 per month The One Plan with 2000 minutes, 5000 texts and 1GB of data. It is also available on PAYG for £174.99. Until the end of 2010, you will also find a free car mount and car charger in the box.

Today, LG officially announced in a press release the launch of their mid-range Android smartphone the LG Optimus One and the Optimus Chic. Both the handset sport a 3.2-inch screen with a HVGA (320×480) resolution. The handsets are powered by a 600 MHz processor and also pack in 3G with HSPA, Wi-Fi, Compass, GPS and A-GPS. Both the One and the Chic also sport a 3.5mm jack and FM radio.

The LG Optimus One will sport a 3.2MP camera with Auto-focus at its back. On the other hand, the LG Optimus Chic will pack a 5MP camera at its back. Sadly, both the phones lack a LED flash. Both the handsets will run on Android 2,2 (Froyo). The Optimus One is capable of playing back DivX and Xvid videos while the Optimus Chic can playback only DivX videos.

The LG Optimus One also packs in a 1500mAh battery. Both the handsets will be available in most of Europe in October followed by other Asia-Pacific countries.